Maserati engine question

I believe they are all made in the same factory(I think) ? Flat plane cranks make power high in the rev range which is probably not what Maserati was looking for in their GT car lines.

 

The parts were all made in Maranello. I saw the machines making the Maser parts. I don't know where they were assembled.

 

My recollection (from May 2008) is that the engine assembly area at the Ferrari factory is three quarters blue cam covers

 

All Mas engines are built on the same production line as Ferrari V8 engines. If you visit the Ferrari factory you will see them going down the line together.

 

It's the other way around. The Masers was built first though certainly the engine was designed with both configurations in mind. For the Maser it's supposed to be more of a GT engine with good grunt. I beleive that's what the diffent cranks are all about. Perhaps some of the Ferrari experts on here can explain the characteristics of having a flat crank. In any event people seem to like both configurations.

Bob S.

 

bob

im not expert but a flat crank is more of a racing inspired which is akin to 2 4cylinders motor mated together. the primary attribute is the exhaust pulse are more advantages for power tuning especially at high rpm's. all ferrari v8s from the 208 to 430 are flat cranks. thema 8.32 is 90 degree crank although its 308qv based motor. the new family of maser v8's...quattroporte, GT and alfa 8C use the same basic 430 motor but with 90 degree cranks.

90 degree cranks are much more common. virtually all american v8 and most production street vehicles configured this way. the advantage is enigne smoothness which is important for refined gt car. a pretty simple way to tell is the thumpy motor sound especially at idle.... flat crank motor screams a llttle more.


for whats its worth...

hf

 

My 2004 Maserati Coupe has red cam covers. What cars have blue cam covers? Alfa Romeos?

 

It's all done by machine. It is just a matter of typing different numbers on a key board. The hardest part is putting 90 degree cranks on one rack and 180 degree cranks on another rack. The cams need to be different too but with modern manufacturing it is pretty easy.

 

here u go travis...a blue one



brian

"punching in keys" i believe is oversimplified. firing order and harmonics that will differ drastically with a 90 degree. the crank, cams, ignitions would need to be changed just to get the motor to turn over. Then to optimize the motor for a flat crank, you would configure the intake manifold, pistons, throttle and exhaust etc. with the power band moved upward the gear ratios would most like need to change to accommodate the new power curve. once you incorporate all those changes in a motor it will still cost millions to certify it after all the development work. i was involve in building a forumula SAE car during my student years mostly out of CNC. i can assure as automated marvals they are, they just sit there without human interaction. Have you spun a forged crank on a CNC lathe lately?

my 2 cents
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I've read a couple of different theories on the cam colors. Back in 1997, a Maserati dealer posted only the Quattroporte Automatic engine had changed to blue valve-covers. I also have read that blue is for the wet sump - red is for the dry.

Does anyone know if either or both of these are true?

 

Well, the MC12 engine also has blue cam covers...

 

All true but with the exception of the cams and crank most of the parts are off the shelf and the ones that were not needed a different design anyway to accomodate rear vs front engine.

And while you may have more hands on with CNC I do know a little about Ferraris.

 

Alan

Im not sure what you mean buy “off the self” I believe only a few components ( I recall the intake plenum and ac compressor?.. I forgot) were carried over from the existing F360 motor. The 430 motor was developed along side with the masser 4.2 motors so all design developments are accounted for simultaneously take advantage of the shared components. Which ever cars where release first doesn’t necessarily means the later cars drivetrain was developed later. although communization are always the goal to reduce cost you are correcting that part will be need to be reconfigured for the midship layout for packaging reasons regardless of the crank. .

the point here is not how easy it is to convert a 90 crank to a 180 from a technical level. from my standpoint there not much difference when it comes to manufactures them. I may have added some confusion trying to highlight some of the differences between the different crank orientation but It’s the cost associated with mass production is the issue. Any substantial variance you cost will go up significantly. Basically im talking about expeditures need for sourcing, development and certification. Yes any shop can build you a crank quite easily but to do things on an OEM level is vastly different.

On a tangent…If I went to pick up a salvage $4K 4.2 quattroporte motor and I put in a “off the shelf” 430 crank and cams would I have the same motor? I only wish it was that simple….and would be shoehorning one in a merak.

Respectfully

RS

 

While the 4200 and quattroporte duoselect engine was built by Ferrari, the later wet sump engines, with blue rocker covers and fitted to qp auto and gt, are built in the maserati factory.the wet sump motor, while looking similar from a distance, is entirely different from the 430 one. Also hyenahf, the 430 engine had no parts on it from the 360 engine.

 

rusty.... i didnt think there were much "off the self" parts from 360 used in 430/4200 motors... i recall it was an all new development. thanks for the clarification

as for the insight on the new wet sump motors.... its good to see the old maser factory busy once again. the last time i was there in the 90's, it looked awfully bleak.

cheers

db